Pakistan suggests three preferred venues for World Cup matches in India

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has communicated its preferred venues for the World Cup matches in India to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

PCB Chairman Najam Sethi, during the recent meeting with ICC Chairman Greg Barclay and CEO Geoff Allardice in Pakistan, expressed Men in Green's reluctance to play their matches in Ahmedabad, except for the final game.

According to a source from the PCB, Sethi made it clear to the ICC officials that Pakistan would only consider playing in Ahmedabad if it was for the knockout stage, such as the final.

The source, quoted by the Press Trust of India, stated that Sethi requested the ICC to schedule Pakistan's matches in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, provided the Pakistani government grants permission for the team to travel to India for the tournament scheduled in October and November.

"Sethi has conveyed to Barclay and Allardice that Pakistan doesn't want its matches to be scheduled in Ahmedabad unless it is a knock-out game like final," the Indian media outlet quoted a source.

"He requested ICC to schedule their games in Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata if national team gets clearance from Pakistan government to travel to India for the global event scheduled in October and November," the source added as per the media report.

Sethi's concerns about playing in Ahmedabad were previously expressed in an interview with the Indian Express. He mentioned his reservations about the India-Pakistan match at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, stating that the city could pose security issues.

Media reports suggest that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considering hosting the high-profile India-Pakistan match in Ahmedabad due to the stadium's large capacity, which can accommodate a significant number of spectators, reaching up to 100,000.